


I AM: Bang Chan

by The_NinjaStayFam



Series: Stray Kids: Origins [1]
Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship, Family Dinners, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Gen, High School, Non-Idol AU, Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-27 03:08:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30116262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_NinjaStayFam/pseuds/The_NinjaStayFam
Summary: It was real and the thing that shook me the most was the fact that I could’ve created it.But how?“Chan, I know this is all hard to take in but you must stay calm.”My heartbeat was escalating and I knew that I had to stay grounded. So, I took a deep breath and faced my mom.“Why…why did this happen now? Why not sooner?”
Relationships: Bang Chan & Han Jisung | Han & Seo Changbin, No Romantic Relationship(s)
Series: Stray Kids: Origins [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2216217
Kudos: 5





	I AM: Bang Chan

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there guys!  
> I'm back and this time with a new series. I've never done a series before so I hope that everything goes well with this. So far, I've planned out the members' backstories and how it all started. So, that's what Stray Kids: Origins will be about.  
> After that, I'll probably add on some adventures and side stories-maybe some one-shots to accompany this series. In advance, I would also want to apologize for any late uploads because I'll be updating randomly due to circumstances but I'll try to keep up-to-date. If you guys have any suggestions, ideas or thoughts about this story, feel free to comment down below. Now, on with the story!

Hello there, everyone!

My name is Bang Chan and this is my story. It starts with my story but it doesn’t end with me, don’t worry. So, without further ado, grab your snacks, get warm, get comfy and let’s get started.

Welcome to South Korea!

The place where I was born but wasn’t raised. My parents migrated to Australia when I was a year old. There, we found a home and that was also a place where my two other siblings were born. It was a nice country and the people there were really awesome.

My life was simple and ordinary. I went to school, met friends, hang out now and then and tried to complete every assignment handed before the due date-even though that was not always the case. Still, can’t say I didn’t try. Hee-hee…

All in all, I would say that I loved my life and the people in it. I thought it was going to be this way forever.

Then, I turned 16 and a shift happened in my life.

By then, my only concern was getting through high school so I could get to college. I was doing my best to be serious in my studies while handling the stress which came with it. Sounds normal, right? Well, this is when the turning point begins.

It was about three weeks after my birthday when I woke up with a headache. Yup, I started the morning with a pounding headache.

Trust me, not a good way to start your day.

Anyway, since it was _just_ a headache, I told myself that I could handle it. Maybe by the time I’ve gotten ready for school, it’ll disappear. I felt hopeful and with that hope in mind, I got up from bed, stumbled three times before reaching the bathroom and slipped once before entering the shower stall.

Yeah, I was being hopeful alright.

I got out of the bathroom with the same consistent headache. A normal person would have taken that as a clear sign to stay home and rest. It was a practical thing to do, but as you can see, I was stubborn and thought school was much more important.

Besides, it was only a headache, right? Nothing serious.

So, I got dressed, slowly made my way out of my room and took my own, sweet time to get down the two flights of stairs. When I reached the ground floor, I had to hold the railing to steady myself for a moment. My vision blurred for a moment and my head was spinning.

_Gosh, what did I do to deserve this in the morning?_

Thankfully, my vision returned to normal and I could make my way to the kitchen without tripping on anything. My headache was still there, but I figured that it would take a while to settle down.

So, I greeted my family, took a seat at the dining table and tried to focus on breakfast. Going to school on an empty stomach was not a healthy option, but somehow it was difficult to swallow a bite of cereal when your mind spun as if it was stuck in a tornado. Around me, my family chatted and ate happily but I wasn’t tuned into their conversation. I was still figuring out a way to finish this bowl of cereal without throwing up halfway.

_Gosh, my head…what happened to me? Is this because of that tea I had yesterday night? Does tea even have that ability to make people feel like this?! Okay, maybe not the tea, that sounds ridiculous. Or maybe it could be-_

“Channie, are you alright?”

_Oh gosh, did they find out? No, don’t freak out, Chris. Act natural._

“I’m good, mom. Why…do you ask?”

“You look a bit pale, Chan.”

“I do? I mean…no mom. I’m fine, really.”

“You sure? No fever or any symptoms?”

My mother was staring down at me with her famous _you can’t lie to me_ look. She knew me too well. At this point, lying would have been a bad move. So, I decided to go for the truth.

“Well…maybe just a slight headache?”

Or at least the half-truth since I felt like this headache was going S _uper Saiyan_ on my poor head.

“Chan, are you sure you don’t want to skip school for today?”, Mr Bang asked.

“It’s fine, dad. I’ll be alright in a bit.”

“Okay, then. But before you leave for school, let me just rub your head with some ointment”, Mrs Bang said.

In case you’re wondering, the ointment did help a _tiny_ bit.

It was still there, but it got milder. Hey, something better than nothing, am I right?

After I managed to force myself to eat half the bowl, my dad drove my siblings and me to school. I sat in the backseat with my little brother. He had his head turned towards the window while I crossed my arms and closed my eyes in an attempt to keep my headache at bay. My eyes fluttered open from time to time and each time I did so, either my father or my sister would throw a concern glance at me from the front seat.

Then, when we arrived at school, my siblings raced to meet their friends at the front steps of school while I retreated to the big tree which was standing tall next to the school building. My headache wasn’t that bad but I needed a moment to prepare myself before going into the building. Well, in my case, dodging the crowd isn’t easy when you’re one of the many social butterflies in school.

_You can do this, Chan. It’s just a walk down the corridor and a quick turn to your class. You can do it. Just smile and wave, Chan. Just smile and wave._

I did just that and hey, I didn’t pass out so one point for that!

I waved, smiled, tried to dodge a few conversations and swiftly made my way into class. Then, I plopped onto my seat, placed my head on top of my table and rested a while until the teacher came in. Miraculously after that short rest, the pounding in my head disappeared and I was in full focus. It felt so good to stare at the whiteboard without feeling the need to pass out.

It was paradise. I was on cloud nine!

The day was going great after that. I went for all my classes, made some friendly talk, had a nice meal during break time and got back to class.

Little did I know that this was just the calm before the storm.

It started in the afternoon. I was in class when I felt it again-and this time it doubled. It caught me off guard and since I was in class; I had to bite back a hiss. The pain intensified and I had to clutch the side of my chair to keep me grounded.

Thankfully, I was seated at the back of the class so all eyes were on the teacher in front. However, the guy seating next to me on the right was eyeing me warily.

I turned to face him and he mouthed the words: _You okay, dude?_

I didn’t want to worry or cause a scene in the back so I forced a smile and mouthed back: _Yeah, I’m good._

I returned my attention to the front and resorted to squeezing my palms together as a poor form of distraction.

_What’s wrong with me? Am I having some kind of migrant?_

Right then, something else happened. On top of the pain, I felt a tingling sensation starting from my shoulder and it went right up to my fingertips. It was as if someone was tickling my skin from within me. The feeling carried on and I was beginning to get Goosebumps.

Whatever I was experiencing was not normal and I was on the verge of panicking.

_Am I sick? Is this the cause of a dangerous disease? Oh god, what’s happening?!_

I knew that if I freaked out in class, that would be the end of me. My classmates would’ve thought I lost my marbles and my teacher would send me straight to the nurse’s office. Then, my parents would get contacted and everything would be a mess.

I didn’t want any of that. For all you know, this feeling I’m experiencing could be nothing. It could just be a figure of my imagination. Yeah, that’s it!

_Maybe I just need time to myself._

Luckily for me, the teacher had assigned us with some work and she was now seated at her desk. So, I got up, made my way towards her and got her permission to use the restroom. Unfortunately, with my current state, walking was a struggle since the floor was swirling beneath my feet. However, I was the only one walking down the corridor so I didn’t have to worry about hiding my discomfort.

I held my head with one hand and held the wall with the other for support. I walked like a slug and almost shouted _eureka_ when my hand landed on the restroom’s door.

Now looking back at this event, I’m really questioning what’s going on inside my head. A normal person would have gone home by now and informed their parents. Yet, here we have me, Bang Christopher Chan who remained adamant about his decision to stay in school.

Real smart, Chris. Real smart indeed.

Alright, enough self-roasting. Where was I…?

Ah yes, I got into the restroom and _thankfully_ it was vacant. So, I had a whole room to myself and I could drop the act. I held the bathroom sink and groaned while I held my head. I was well aware that this wasn’t a normal headache. Something was definitely wrong and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know what it was.

I was scared and the tingling in my arms wasn’t going away either. At this point, I don’t even think this is the result of a migraine.

I steadied myself and took a few deep breathes to calm my nerves. Freaking out wasn’t going to help and it might probably make the situation worse. Then, I turned on the tap and splashed some water on my face. Not sure why I did that, but hey, I was clueless at that moment.

Just a gentle reminder to those reading out there, washing your face with water doesn’t improve your headaches, but drinking water does so stay hydrated! Dehydration is one of the causes of many complications so you want to avoid that. I learned that one the hard way. Let’s leave that experience as a story for another day.

Where was I again? Man, I keep getting side-tracked.

Oh, wait. I remember!

I still felt the same and I knew that going back to class wouldn’t be such a good idea. My vision was bad at this point and the tingling feeling was unsettling. So, I thought I hung out in the restroom for a while until everything calms down.

Then, I leaned against the wall next to the sink and slumped down on the ground.

Yes, that was very unhygienic of me to do that but it was either I sat down or fell and, I think I preferred the first option.

I hugged my knees close while I stared at the bathroom stalls in front of me. The world was spinning faster around me-forcing me to squeeze my eyes shut while I groaned softly. I let out a shaky exhale while I forced myself to open my eyes.

I was super tired and the temptation of giving in to sleep was growing. That was when I realize that I should’ve just went straight to the nurse’s office instead of coming here.

_Maybe I shouldn’t have gone to school in the first place._

Now, I was glued to the floor and no matter how badly I wanted to get up, I couldn’t. The floor was welcoming me and I knew that if I even tried to walk, I might stumble. On top of that, I was tired and

The whole thing was overwhelming.

I needed help, but there wasn’t anyone nearby. To be honest, I didn’t know what to do anymore. I was just so tired of dealing with this. I just wanted to rest and sleep the pain away.

With a shaky sigh, I leaned my head against the wall and closed my eyes. It didn’t take me long to fall into the pit of slumber.

Yes, everyone, I just fell asleep on the floor of a school toilet. Something I’m not proud of.

Now that I think about it, that’s probably the grossest thing I’ve ever done.

Kids, please don’t follow my example. Next time if you’re feeling under the weather, just take a day off and rest. Don’t want you guys to be passing out like me in public bathrooms.

Honestly, I don’t know how long I was out, but I knew that I was awoken by someone.

I heard a voice calling my name and I heard the soft thumping of hands against something.

_Chan-hyung._

Thump-thump.

_Hyung, wake up!_

Thump. Thump. Thump.

_Oppa, please wake up! Lucas, do something._

_I’m trying. What else do you want me to do?_

My eyes cracked open slightly and back then, I was sure that I was seeing things. I saw like a transparent, emerald green dome was surrounding me. Outside it were my two siblings- Hannah and Lucas. They had their hands on it and they looked worried.

Instantly, my eyes flew open and I sat up. However, the transparent thing was nowhere in sight. My siblings practically pounced on me and they hugged really tight. I must have scared them bad. I mean, who wouldn’t be worried if they found their sibling passed out on the ground?

I hugged them tight and reassured them I was fine. Fortunately for me, I felt a ton better. My head was clear, my vision regulated and the tingling sensation disappeared. It was as if I was never ill in the first place.

_Weird…_

“Hyung, are you alright?”

“What happened? Did you collapse earlier?”

“I’m much better than before and no, Hannah, I didn’t collapse. I felt the floor swirl between my feet so I thought I’d rest here.”

My siblings exchanged glances between themselves before they faced me.

“Why didn’t you call home?”, Lucas asked.

“I…I thought I was fine?”

Okay, lamest excuse ever.

“So, you thought that resting on the toilet floor was a good idea?”, Hannah asked.

“Alright, alright. You got me. I wasn’t thinking straight. Sorry, guys.”

“It’s cool, hyung. But we got to go now, dad is waiting for us outside.”

I quickly scrambled to my feet and wrapped my arms around my two siblings.

“Thanks for finding me, guys.”

My siblings smiled back at me but it was strained. It was clear that they were hiding something from me but I decided not to pry any further. Maybe I could ask them about it when we get home.

As I made my way towards the door, I stopped as a sudden realization dawned upon me.

“Oppa, is something wrong?”

“Hannah…I just realized something.”

They sucked in a breath and stared at him as if they were caught red-handed.

“What…what is it?”

“I…I can’t believe that you’re in the boy’s bathroom.”

She groaned while Lucas just laughed.

“Oppa, you were passed out on the floor. What was I supposed to do? Wait, on the other side while Lucas freaked out beside you?”

I chuckled sheepishly while I guided them towards the door.

“Fair point.”

\--------------------------------------------------------

When dinner time rolled in, I felt a weird tension in the room.

The food was delicious-like I was digging in and savouring every flavour. But while I was doing that, everyone was eyeing me and shooting glances my way. It was as if my family was observing my every move. It was weird and I wasn’t sure if I should’ve addressed it verbally.

_Did I do something wrong just now? I don’t remember upsetting anybody._

Finally, my father cleared his throat and faced me with his usually calm expression.

“So, Chan, how was school today?”

I knew I had to face that question sooner or later. His parents always ask him and his siblings about their day. So, he gave a thought about how he could talk about his day without bringing up the fact he took a nap on the bathroom floor.

Although, I had a feeling that it would be hard to manoeuvre around that since I had two witnesses.

“School was good, dad. I…I have a school project which is due in a month and I think I have a decent amount of homework but I finished most of it earlier.”

“I see. How about your condition? You weren’t exactly well when you left the house. How were you in school?”

Now, I had to be smart about this part. I didn’t want to lie about my condition nor did I want to worry my parents about it.

“My headache was gone when I got to class…but it came back during the afternoon and it’d kind of affected my vision? But I rested after that and it got-”

“Son, what have I told you about lying?”

My lips zipped shut as I faced everyone seated around the table. It was clear that my mom and dad knew about it. The look of disappointment on their faces was a clear sign.

I sighed as I knew what was coming next.

“I’m sorry.”

“Chan-ah, why didn’t you call the school when your condition got worse?”, my mom asked.

“I…I thought I could handle it.”

“Did anyone else see it?”

“No, dad. One guy thought I was sick, but I told him it was nothing.”

My parents gave me a puzzled look while my siblings didn’t dare look me in the eye. I frowned as I wondered.

_What’s up with their reactions? Did I say something wrong?_

Then, as I recalled my father’s question, I found it to be _odd._

“Erm…dad, what did you mean by see _it?”_

Now, it was my parents’ turn to avert their gaze away. They exchanged glances and if telepathy was a thing, a whole silent conversation could have taken place between them.

Feeling confused, I turn to give my siblings a questioning look but one of them looked at me with pity while the other pretended to be eating. Now, this was getting frustrating. All I wanted was answers and nobody was giving him any.

“Mom, Dad, what’s going on? Did something happen? Something I’m not aware of?”

Finally, my parents faced me but I could judge by their looks that whatever the matter was, it was serious. This got me sitting on the edge of my seat.

“Bang Chan, there is something we have to tell you.”

Uh oh, full names were not a good sign.

“What is it, mom?”

_It can’t be the typical you’re adopted thing, right? Come on, Chan, stop being ridiculous._

“Am I in trouble?”

“No, you’re not. We…we feel like we need to tell you a bit about our country’s history.”

“You…mean Australia’s history?”

“No, your birth country, Korea.”

_Oh. That’s…pretty random._

I remained silent so my dad started the story.

“And as you know, son, the rest of our bloodline has been born and breed there. The thing is, there was an incident that happened in South Korea years and years ago.”

“An incident? What kind of incident?”

My father looked at my mom and she continued.

“There was a secret government project going on that no one knew about…

My face fell while my mind started to continue the story on its own.

 _Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. This is even worse than being adopted. Is this why they’re telling me the history out of the blues?! They’re going to tell me that I was sold to the government for whatever reason and my life is a lie! Oh boy, Chris, I knew something was up the moment they said they wanted to-_

“And no Chan we did not do any deal to give you up to the government.”

I widened my eyes as I faced my mom is shocked.

 _Does my mom really have telepathic abilities?_

“How did you- “

“I’m your mother, Chan. I know each of my children well and the fact that you’re an open book makes you easier to read.”

_Ah, I see. Not quite the actor, huh Chris._

“Sorry, mom. Please continue.”

“Well, this secret project was being done in a lab and I don’t know the details but one day something went wrong and a massive chemical shock wave happened and it spread throughout the country. The people were worried that it could be something that could affect their health, but it turned out to be something else. In the early days, there were no side effects whatsoever but as the weeks went by, some people were experiencing…weird things.”

“Weird things? Like?”

“They developed supernatural abilities or powers due to an alteration of their genes”, his father said.

I gasped in shocked. I did not see this one coming.

“Really? That shock wave caused people to have superpowers?”

“Not everyone. Some of your ancestors had it, while some of them were normal but they became carriers of this supernatural gene so their kids developed it. The supernatural gene is very fickle. Your parent could be special but the kid could turn out normal or vice versa. Sometimes every generation develops it while sometimes there could be one or two skips in the generation before another person develops the gene.”

By then, my mind was reeling with this newfound information. More importantly, why were my parents telling me this now?

“But…but what does this have to do with me?”

“Cause…we think you might have developed this gene, Channie.”

Then, there was the moment of silence. Nobody said a word and I was left to gape at everyone.

How do they know that I carry a gene like that?

“No…that can’t be true. I’ve been normal my whole life. How can you prove that?”

“You may not have seen it but we did”, Lucas said softly.

I faced my siblings in shock and I saw them looking at me with guilty expressions.

“He’s right, oppa. We were searching everywhere for you. We asked around and no one saw you. Then, we came across your classmate and they told us that the last time they saw you going to the restroom. So, we rushed over there and Lucas went in, but then he called for me and I went in and we saw you on the floor. But there was something around you, like a…a…green protective dome. We tried to get you but that thing was not allowing us to touch you. We had no clue what that was but it somehow disappeared when you woke up.”

“We wanted to tell you about it but we didn’t want to overwhelm you so we kept it to ourselves and told mom and dad when we came home.”

After listening to their explanations, I could’ve sworn my last brain cells had flown out the window by now. The only thing playing in my head on repeat were the words: _it was not a dream._

That green, transparent thing I saw was not something my imagination whipped up from la-la-land.

It was real and the thing that shook me the most was the fact that I could’ve created it.

_But how?_

“Chan, I know this is all hard to take in but you must stay calm.”

My heartbeat was escalating and I knew that I had to stay grounded. So, I took a deep breath and faced my mom.

“Why…why did this happen now? Why not sooner?”

“If I’m not mistaken, son, I’ve heard that supernatural abilities within a person would fully develop and show themselves between the ages 18 to 21. In your case, I would say you’re an early bloomer.”

I sighed as I looked down at my hands.

These hands…could they really hold that much power?

“Does…does anyone else in our family have this gene?”

“Yes, Chan. Your great grandmother had it. She was an early bloomer too if I’m not mistaken. She developed her telekinetic powers at the age of 15”, mom said.

“Do…do you know what kind of powers I have?”

“No, Chan. That is something we have to get checked”, dad replied.

I gave my parents a pained look. Now, that we know that I’m not like every other child, will this affect the way they see me?

“I’m…I’m not going to get disowned, am I?”

Now, I know I was being blunt, but I had to hear the truth. I couldn’t leave in a lie where everyone pretended to be _okay_ with me.

“Bang Christopher Chan, how could you say such a thing?”

My attention got snapped back towards my parents and they looked at me dead in the eye with such seriousness that I actually got intimated.

“Son, this family does not disown or abandon anyone. You may be the special one out of us, but that doesn’t mean a thing. You were and still are the same son we raised and loved throughout our entire life”, dad said.

“And you’re still our big brother. Our viewpoint of you never changed”, Hannah said.

“Yeah, and your powers are pretty cool!”, Lucas added.

With each word of affirmation, I felt my heart soar as the weight was lifted off my shoulders. I was so touched by their love and words to the point my eyes started watering. I knew I couldn’t hide my emotions in front of my family so I let my guard down and allowed the tears to freely flow down my cheeks.

God, I was so grateful to have this family on my side.

Everyone got out from their seats and engulfed me in a big, warm hug. I happily accepted the warmth and cherished the moment while it lasted.

“We’re always here for you, Channie. That’s what family is for.”

\--------------------------------------------------------------

So, let’s take a time skip from here.

It has been three days since I learned the truth.

A lot of explaining and unexpected occurrences happened in those days.

Do you guys want to know the explanation or the stories first?

Okay, I’ll start with the explanations then since it will give everyone a clearer picture.

So, it turns out that my parents do know quite a bit about specials.

Yup, that’s actually a term they use. So, from here on, if I’m referring to one with powers, they would be called specials.

But in my opinion, everyone is special so don’t feel like you are any less than anyone.

Turns out, that there is a place built in the outskirts of Korea which is hidden from the public eye. There is an academy there specially built for specials to learn how to control and grow in your supernatural abilities. You’ll be in there until they are certain that you control your ability well.

They’ll be a graduation ceremony and all after that and then they’ll let you go live among the civilians. Only people in South Korea knows about the existence of specials. So, if any other countries catch specials like Chan, there is a high risk of them being caught and taken away since they think we’re a threat to humanity.

In Korea, specials are being protected by the government since this was their mess in the first place. However, there is a rule in Korea stating that specials are not allowed to use their powers in public to avoid unnecessary conflict or problems. If needed, you may use it subtly

This is because not many people in Korea trust specials. Some think that they’re dangerous beings while others had bad experiences with the ones who had misused their powers in the past. From what I’ve heard, the penalty is great for those who misuse their powers especially against an innocent.

Although, my parents did hear about a place that only specials can be in. There, you are free to use your powers without feeling the need to hide them.

Not sure how true this is that but I guess I’ll find out once I’m there.

So, my parents have been talking to me about this whole situation and they’ve come to the same conclusion. I would be moving to Korea to start my new life at the academy. It was for the best and my parents could rest assured that I’ll be safe there.

Now, for these past three days, I’ve stopped school and started packing for my journey. There was a lot of things to do with so little time. On top of that, I’ve been having _power surges_ from time to time.

According to my parents, the term power surge is a common term used to describe a moment when one’s power sparks or triggers involuntarily. Usually, this happens when a person has a lack of control over it or if they’re overwhelmed by their emotions.

Based on what I’ve observed, this power of mind acted like a shield. An emerald, transparent dome which sometimes covers me or the person I’m with. For instance, the other time when I was doing the laundry, my brother snuck up on me and decided to give me a little scare. I was super shocked and as I turned to face whoever that was, the transparent dome appeared around me again and it knocked my brother off his feet.

I felt guilty for that one but I was convinced that it was an accident and Lucas should’ve known better.

Then, we also have time when I was reading a book. It was a good, suspenseful, thriller novel that got me hooked on each word. I guess I was too engrossed in it since I had a sudden surge and the little dome circled my book and I held it in my hand-unsure of what to do. Now, this was frustrating because I wanted to get my book out, but I had no control yet. I tried to make it disappear but it didn’t work. I had to wait a solid ten minutes before I could get back to reading.

Other mini occurrences happened in between but I’m glad that it was nothing too serious. Plus, all of these happened in the house so my cover is safe.

On the day of my flight, I stood by the entrance with my two suitcases beside me. My parents bought the earliest flight since there would be lesser people at the airport then. So, to catch the 6.30 a.m flight, I had to be there by 4.30 a.m. So, the biggest struggle was to wake up at 3 in the morning to get ready.

My mother would follow me all the way to the academy which was a huge relief for me. At least I wouldn’t have to face everything alone. She already contacted the academy through a friend. Apparently, my mother was friends with a couple of specials so that was convenient.

My father and mother came downstairs followed by my two sleepy siblings who had their bed-hair sticking out from every corner. They were in their pyjamas since both of them would be staying behind.

However, the moment their eyes landed on me. I could see the way their faces changed. Lucas ran down and almost tripped on the last step to get to me with Hannah on his heels. They collided right into me and they engulfed me in the tightest hug they could muster. It broke my heart to leave them. They were one of my biggest concern while I planned for this trip.

I mean, I am their older brother. I was supposed to stay with them for the next three years before leaving home. This whole thing happened so quickly.

I…I myself couldn’t believe that I’ll be leaving them behind so soon.

Both of them were shaking in my hold as they allowed their tears to flow freely. My own tears were on the brink of flowing but I held it in. I had to be strong for their sake.

So, I returned the hug and held them close to my chest.

“I’ll be back, okay. I promise I’ll visit whenever I can.”

“Please…. please call us or…or text us”, Hannah said.

“Or even write to us.”

“I will. Every night, I promise.”

I released them from the hug and wiped the tears from their cheeks. I gave them a warm smile and clasped them on the shoulder.

“Take care of each other while I’m gone, ya? Lucas, don’t fight with your sister and help mom and dad whenever you can, okay? Be a good boy and make sure to take Berry on his walks. Hannah, I officially pass the older sibling role to you. Be a good example to your brother and don’t be mean to him. Listen to mom and dad and be good little sis.”

They nodded their heads and hugged me one last time before I went out the door. My dad got my luggage in the booth while I made my way to the backseat. As soon as my father got in the driver’s seat, the car started rolling away from the driveway and I got to wave one last time at my siblings before they disappeared from my view.

I sighed quietly as I fiddled with my fingers. I was sure going to miss them.

\------------------------------------------------------

By the time the plane took off, I was exhausted.

I rested my head on my mom’s shoulder while she ran her fingers through my hair. My cheeks were wet from the tears I couldn’t hold in anymore. The last time I hugged my father, I felt the weight of my heart increase.

_“Take care of yourself, son. Don’t be afraid. Be responsible and use your abilities well. You’ll always be in our prayers and thoughts. God bless you.”_

" _I will, dad. Thank you…”_

I’m glad that my mom was still here. After my father left, I was having a few episodes of power surges. I admit that I felt overwhelmed and my emotions were escalating. Luckily, mom managed to find a secluded area and she succeeded in soothing my nerves before the flight.

Now, on the plane, all I could think about was sleep. It was going to be a long flight so I took the opportunity to get as much sleep as I could. At least, I can rest assure that my powers would be under control when I’m asleep.

When we landed at Jeju International Airport, I was fully awake and I could feel the nervousness starting to kick in. There were no problems with the immigration and our bags were all still intact-thankfully. After that, we got a taxi, found a good restaurant and had a wonderful meal.

Once we were done with lunch, we took a bus and got off at Jeju Gotjawal Hwansang Forest stop where we were supposed to meet a person who was in charge of the academy.

Now, this is a weird place to meet a person, but that’s where he told us to meet.

While we stood at the side, a young man walked up to us and greeted us politely.

“Hello, there. Are you Mrs Bang by any chance?”

“Yes, I am and I’m guessing you are Mr Park.”

He extended a hand and my mom shook it.

“Pleasure to meet you, Mrs Bang, but please call me Jae.”

“Please, the pleasure is all mine, Jae. Thank you for taking the trouble to come all the way here to meet us.”

“No problem, this is my job. Now, please follow me. I’ll make sure to explain everything to you on the way. If you don’t mind, we’ll walk from here.”

_Walk? Is the academy close-by? That’s unexpected_

He passed through the group of tourists and begin to walk towards one of the forest trails.

Now, I know what you guys must be thinking.

How and why the forest? I don’t know, but I was stunned.

Then again, it was an academy for specials so it is to be expected.

I exchanged a glance with my mom and she shrugged her shoulders. Together, we followed behind him. There were a few tourists here and there but we continued. We were quiet since Jae didn’t say a word. This carried on until we went deeper into the forest. The deeper we went, the lesser the crowd got.

At last, we stopped when the path in front of us got split into two. The one that went left was cleared while the one on the right was off-limits.

There was a small sign at the corner which read: _Warning! Dangerous grounds ahead!_

True enough, there was a fallen tree ahead which blocked the part a few meters away. It was a clear sign for us to go the other way. But Jae was already facing the right path with a smile on his face.

“Chan-ah, can you please hold your mother’s hand.”

That was a random request but I complied with it anyway.

“Great. Follow me.”

Without another warning, he walked towards the right path. I had no idea what was wrong with him until I saw it. The moment he passed the sign, there was a spark of light and he disappeared completely from the trail. He never ended up on the other side of the path. It was as if his body went through an invisible portal or something.

I took a step back as I stared at the path in awe.

_No way! This is so sweet!_

I know that Jae wasn’t going to wait for us forever. So, I pulled my mom towards the path and when we passed the sign, it felt as if our bodies went through an invisible shield of some sort. When we arrived at the other side of it, we were standing on forest grounds but it didn’t look like we were in Hwansang forest anymore. Jae stood in front of us with an amused smile on his face.

We walked towards him and this time he walked by our side.

“Okay, now that we’re clear from the public eye. Let me introduce myself properly. My name is Park Jaehyung and I’m the head recruiter of M.I.R.O.H Academy. Now, please, feel free to ask me anything.”

“Excuse me, Mr, what does Miroh mean?”

Not an important question but I was curious, okay?

“Good question, Chan. But please, call me Jae-no need to be too formal. M.I.R.O.H is an acronym for:

M=Making

I= Individuals

R= Radically

O= Outstanding

H= Heroes

 _Okay, that’s a long name._

Got to admit, it does have a nice ring to it.

“So, is the academy hidden in this forest?”, mom asked.

“Yes, it is. Although, not only an academy but we have a small town to ourselves. It’s like a little residential place for specials. There, specials are free to be themselves and use their powers, but of course for good reasons. If you walk a little bit deeper, you’ll find the wall that encircles our little area.

“You can live there?”

“If you want to, but there are many who choose to live with the other people and then come back here to relax, unleash their powers or to go gear shopping.”

“Gear shopping?”

“Yeah, kid. Certain powers need special gears so that you can channel your powers properly. It depends on the kind of power and the level of power you’re going for.”

“Cool.”

“How about the accommodation for my son? I was told that the academy has that under control.”

“We do. He’ll be staying in the academy’s dormitory and he’ll be in a room that can hold about eight students.”

“Can he come home for visits?”

“He sure can. We do have breaks from time to time and family visits are allowed. However, there are certain safety measures we take for the students in our academy especially the new ones.”

_Certain measures? Huh?_

“They will be given twin silver cuffs that wrap around your wrist but don’t worry, there isn’t a chain in the middle. That thing is actually to minimize their power level and to avoid big power surges. For instance, when they are on-campus, the devices on their wrist would be off unless the teachers would want to activate them for training purposes. So, they’ll have 100% access to their power levels but only when they’re on-campus. But in some cases, we are forced to minimize their power levels to a certain extent due to uncontrollable power surges but that depends on the individual. However, if they’re going to go around town or if they want to linger in this forest, then the cuffs will automatically decrease their powers by 25% per cent or more depending on the power. But once they’re out with the other people, they’ll have no way of accessing their powers at all. The cuffs will limit power levels to 0% to avoid any problems. That is…until they’ve mastered control over it.”

“So, I have to always keep those on? Even when I’m asleep?”

“You can take those off when you sleep or when you’re showering but you are advised to wear them at all times. Although, keep in mind that the cuffs have sensors so you can’t take them out once you’re out of campus. It sticks to you until you get back. But don’t worry, we made sure it’s comfortable to wear for long hours.”

“So, if I’m not mistaken, if he wants to come home, he can but with the cuffs on him.”

“Correct.”

“What if my family wants to meet me on campus?”

“Well, then you’ll have to notify the academy a week prior because regular people can’t make it through the invisible border without a special's help. That border is made to only allow people with the supernatural gene to get through to this part of the forest. If a regular person walks on that right path, they’ll end up meeting with the fallen tree and rocky grounds.”

“Wait a minute, so you’re telling me that _that_ path wasn’t an illusion? You can really go on that path?”

“You can. That border acted like a magical junction. If you have powers, you get to pass into this place, if not, you’ll walk straight into that dangerous path.”

“But then how did my mom- “

“That’s why I told you to hold your mother’s hand. As I said, a normal person can pass through if they get help from a special. We made it that way to protect specials and others.”

I looked ahead and we came to another cross-road, but this time I knew where we were going. The wooden signboard pointed in three directions.

The right one said: _Sports Complex_

The one in the middle said: _Main town_

The one on the left said: _M.I.R.O.H Academy for Young Specials_

_Wow, this place for specials was bigger than I thought._

We took the one on the left and continued down the trail until I noticed that the trees were becoming lesser and I could make out a building in the distant.

As we stepped out of the clearing, there was a big arch in the entrance of the school that spelt out the words _Welcome!_

The academy was huge!

There was a big building in the middle with two smaller buildings on each side. I’m guessing the middle one is the academy and the other two buildings were connected to the academy by two bridges. Even then, there was plenty of lands left and the landscape was done up pretty nicely.

For a school located in the middle of the forest, I would say that it radiated a futuristic feel. The buildings were mostly made of metal and glass and they had that My Hero Academia feel to them.

Yes, I just made an anime reference. Hehe…probably you guys weren’t expecting that.

But seriously, I’m not joking. That thought ran through my head the moment I laid my eyes on it.

“Welcome to M.I.R.O.H Academy, kid. Now, please follow me. It’s time to get you checked-in.”

We followed him through the arch and walked straight to the Academy. We climbed up the steps and the door slid open to allow us to get through. We followed Jae until we arrived at a door labelled _Admin Office._ He opened the door for us and walked in to find a lady sitting at the desk.

They had all my details in a file and they had found me a room. I just had to fill in some documents and sign a few papers before I was good to go. However, before I left my room, my mom tapped me on the shoulder and gave me a sad smile.

“Channie-ah, I can’t go further than this.”

My heart fell at those words. I knew my mom had to leave soon but I didn’t want to acknowledge that fact till now. She opened her arms and I embraced her tightly. I felt tears brimming in my eyes so I kept my eyes closed as I held my mom. I know that it was as hard for her to leave me, so I didn’t want to make the situation worse by crying.

We held each other for a good moment before I heard someone exclaimed. Curiously, I opened my eyes and I saw a familiar green shade. I pulled away from my mom and saw that the green shield encircled around us.

I must have had another power surge!

_Great. I did it again. Me and my emotions._

A few seconds later, the shield disappeared. Don’t ask me how I did it, it just happened.

“Force field generation. Nice.”

I turned to face Jae who was giving me an amused look.

“Excuse me?”

“The thing you just did just now, that’s called a force field. Chan, you have the ability to generate force fields around yourself and other individuals. If I’m not mistaken, around objects as well. It’s mostly a defensive power but it could be used as an attack mechanism-depending on the situation.”

 _Force fields…so that’s what it’s called._

“Yup, pretty cool power if you ask me.”

Right then, there was a knock on the door and it opened to reveal a teenage girl with short black hair. She wore a simple maroon tee with denim jeans.

“Ah, Chaeyoung. Can you please open a portal to the South entrance of the forest and accompany Mrs Bang back to the forest bus stop?”

“Sure, Jae.”

My mom cupped my cheeks and kissed my forehead.

“Take care, Channie. I’ll call you later, okay?”

I nodded and watched her bow one last time at the person behind the desk and Jae before walking out with that teenage girl.

“Now, Chan. Let me take you to your room.”

I followed Jae out of the office and he helped me carry one of my suitcases. We walked into an elevator and the door closed behind us. However, there were no buttons on the wall.

_Okay, freaky elevator._

“Erm…Jae, where are the buttons?”

“Buttons? There’s no such thing as those here.”

“Then how – “

“This is a Portalvator.”

“A portal what now?”

“You’ll see. Now, watch and learn.”

He cleared his throat and spoke.

“Fourth floor, main bridge one please.”

The wall right beside me begins to morph into a swirl of purple dust-like some kind of vortex. I watched as the swirl became bigger until an image appeared through it.

“Go on, Chan. This is our floor.”

Hesitantly, I move towards the swirl and it felt as if I walked through a portal of some kind. Jae came up behind me and the swirl disappeared into nothing.

“What was that?”

“That my friend is a portal. You see, our school doesn’t use normal elevators. If you want to go to any authorized places in the school, all you have to do is get in one of those, tell it your exact location and it opens up a portal for you. That’s why you do not ever lean against any of the walls. You’ll never know which one would open up.”

Not going to lie, I was really impressed by that. I guess there’s no such thing as boring elevator rides here.

I followed Jae down the corridor and turned a corner to find the metallic bridge that connects you to the right building. As we crossed the bridge, Jae decided to brief me on a few things.

“That bridge takes you to the dormitories. The lower four floors are for the girls and the upper four floors are for the boys. Now, if you notice, there are not many kids around because it’s their rest time. They have physical training in the evening later, but you don’t have to join. Today, just take the time to settle in, get to know your roommates and rest-I’m sure you’re tired from your journey.”

I nodded my head and he continued to brief me slightly about the dos and the don’ts of the dormitory.

Like how you can use your powers but at a minimum level and the curfew is by 11 pm. If anyone is not in their dorms by then, the warden would be going around to check. According to Jae, he has some freaky shadow powers and that guy sure knows how to put up a fight.

That is a living nightmare I don’t want to be apart of. So, no rule-breaking for me.

Then, if you want to hang with the other students, there’s a student lounge on the fourth and ground floor. Pretty convenient if you ask me.

My room is on the fifth floor; room number 25.

We stopped in front of the room and I felt my nerves spark again.

 _I hope I can make a first good impression of myself._

“Now, Chan. This is your room and here is your key card. Keep it well, yeah?”

“I will.”

“Okay, there’s two boys currently occupying this room. They’re both nice ones but I would say take it easy with them. One of them is shy while the other may look intimidating but is a bit softie at heart. So, don’t need to grip that handlebar too hard.”

I looked down towards my hand and I saw that there was already a small green dome around the handlebars. I shook my hand a little but the dome didn’t disappear. Instead, it doubled in size and now it covered my whole suitcase.

I chuckled nervously and faced Jae sheepishly.

 _Way to embarrass yourself again, Chan._

Jae just shook his head and asked me to take a few deep breaths to calm down. I followed his instructions and thank god the thing disappeared.

“Don’t worry, Chan. Controlling your powers takes time. Take it one day at a time, ya? And I’ll try to get those cuffs so you don’t have to worry about any big power surges, okay?”

“Okay. Thanks, Jae.”

“Anytime, kid. Now, if you need anything just call the office.”

I nodded and Jae used his own key card (probably the admin card that can open any door in the academy) and held the door open to allow me to pass through. Then, he closed the door, placed my luggage beside me and called out two unfamiliar names.

Slowly, I saw two heads coming out from a room. One of them had messy bed hair so I assumed he’d just woken up from his nap while the other had a book tucked at his side.

The one with the bed hair was caught off guard by my presence. It wasn’t obvious but he subtly moved behind the other boy who acted as his shield-even though the boy with the book was a little shorter than him. However, the boy with the book didn’t seem to be bothered at all. He stared at me and Jae with a blank expression which kind of made him look intimidating.

“Boys, this is Bang Chan. He’s the new roommate we told you about earlier. Please take care of him and help him get adjusted.”

“Sure thing, Jae.”

Jae gave me one last assuring smile before he greeted us and went out the door. I was low-key hoping that Jae wouldn’t leave me too soon, but I knew I couldn’t ask him to stay. I’m sure he had other things to handle.

I averted my gaze from the door and went back to the little staring competition we had. The boy with the book was observing him from top to bottom while the other boy curiously peeked from behind him.

I knew I was standing awkwardly next to my luggage. Now, this is not like me at all. I don’t remember the last time I was this nervous when I had to meet someone new. Why now?

 _Maybe it’s because I’m in a foreign land with no family and I’m in a school filled with power-packed people._

Yup, maybe that’s why.

Thankfully, I know how to speak Korean or else…the awkwardness would have escalated to a new level and I might as well create a force field around myself as a cocoon of safety.

Since no one wanted to make the first move, I gave a small dimpled smile while I waved rather awkwardly at them.

“Hello there, my name is Bang Christopher Chan and…I’m happy to be here. What’s your name?”

The boy with the book hesitated for a moment before a small smile spread across his face. He reached out his hand towards me and I shook it.

“My name is Seo Changbin and this shy guy here is Han Jisung.”

When Jisung didn’t say anything, Changbin side-stepped and gave him a little push to the front. Only then, did Jisung waved and said a little _hi._

I smiled and greeted him back as well. He seemed really shy but I have a feeling he would warm up to me. Hopefully.

“Do…do you want to freshen up? I could show you your room and then you can take a shower. You must be exhausted. I heard you flew all the way from Australia.”

 _Oh, so they do know a little about me._

“Yup. Although, I’m not _that_ tired. I’m still okay.”

“Good. Follow me. Hey Jisung, can you help him with his bags.”

“Oh no, you don’t have to- “

“It’s okay…hyung? You’re older than me, right?”

“I think so? I’m 16 this year.”

“Ah, so you’re my hyung too”, Changbin exclaimed.

“Really? How old are you guys?”

“I’m 14 and Jisung here is 13. I think we’re one of the youngest ones here.”

I had to do a double-take. Here I was, thinking I’m an early bloomer until I met these two.

_I wonder what’s their story._

But now is not the time. One day, I’ll know.

So, the three of us got my bags to my room. Then, Changbin showed me the shower and I had a nice, long relaxing bath while I hummed a little tune to myself. After that, I got into some comfy clothes and I sat on my bed.

I didn’t know what to do at the moment. Currently, I was alone in the bedroom that Jisung and Changbin shared. Both of them took the bunk beds while I got the single bed on the right side of the room. The other two rooms were vacant since only three of us occupied the room now.

 _I wonder who’s going to come in after me…_

“Hyung…”

I looked up and saw Jisung standing timidly at the doorway. He looked so small and tiny. I wasn’t kidding when I said I felt my protective brother instincts awaken within me.

“Yes, Jisung?”

“You…want to come and watch Dragon Ball with us? It’s playing on TV.”

The simple invitation warmed my heart and made me smile. They were trying to include me and I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

Could this be the start of a new friendship? I sure hope so.

“Sure thing. I love that show. Do you have a favourite character?”

Jisung lighten up at the question and the both of us walked out of the room as we talked animatedly. We joined Changbin on the couch and I admit that it was our first bonding moment. We had a few laughs and we got to know each other a little more.

Maybe coming here wasn’t as bad as I thought.

It was something new but I’ll get used to it. I’m sure I can.

Yes, I do miss my family and yes, Australia is to be missed as well.

But I’m glad that I’ve gained something as well. Although it may be small, it is something special.

It’s a seed waiting to germinate and bloom into a beautiful flower.

So, this is my story. The story of a boy who discovered he had superhuman abilities and is on the path to discover his powers, find his destiny and learn about the gift of friendship.

I’ll end my tale for now, but remember, this is just the beginning.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I'll see you guys in the next one. Take care and God bless!


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